Brown Butter Scallops
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Cook the most perfect scallops every. single. time. So fast and easy to make (just 5 ingredients) yet so so fancy!
A fancy night in. NYE. Monday night. Thursday lunch. COVID-date-night…
Yes, THIS is exactly what you need. Perfectly seared scallops with all the foamy butter, garlic and fresh thyme.
It is divine. It is quick. And it is easy. It takes 5 ingredients and just 30 minutes of your time from start to finish.
Serve with this IP mushroom risotto for a complete meal with all the crusty bread. And wine, of course.
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Brown Butter Scallops: Frequently Asked Questions
Unsalted butter allows you to add as much salt (or as little) salt in your dish. It allows for more control and consistency.
Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette in French, is made by gently cooking unsalted butter until caramelized into deep golden brown color with silky, nutty and toasted flavors.
Any of these side dishes and/or light salads would go beautifully with these scallops. Our favorites include glazed carrots, roasted cauliflower, and chicken caesar salad with homemade croutons.
You can also serve this with some light crusty bread to sop up all that leftover sauce!
Brown Butter Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds scallops, about 24
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
- Season scallops with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add scallops to the skillet in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and translucent in the center, about 1-2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.
- Reduce heat to medium low; melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the butter starts to foam.
- Add garlic and thyme to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Return scallops to the skillet; spoon butter over scallops for 1 minute.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Video
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We make them exactly the same way but serve them on the shell and use fresh coriander inst of thyme.
The scallops were fantastic! I used jumbo and the cooly time was spot on. Thank you for the recipe and the suggestion of risotto. It felt like a date night dinner!
I meant to give this 5 stars!!
Sounds easy and delicious
This is my go to scallop recipe. So delicious and quick. Who knew something so decadent could be cooked in a matter of minutes.
Excellent recipe. My guest also 5 starred it. I also appreciate your suggestions for accompanying side dishes to go with the main protein.
So good! children in our house are not a fan of seafood but this scallops recipe of yours made them try and they liked it. Thanks for sharing!
looks delicious. Trying out this one for sure!
Oh these look amazing! I think I will make these soon; the scallops look so good in the photos that it makes me want to eat this now! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Looks very good! How do we find out the nutritional information for these recipes?
Hi Cheryl! Nutritional information is provided only for select recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”). Hope that helps!
They looks so good! Your photos are amazing!
OMG!!!! So good!! I couldn’t stop eating! Shared these with the hubby , but he almost didn’t get any they were so good! Cannot wait to make them again.
Super delicious! Very rich, but the lemon juice provides a tangy counterpoint. A keeper. Thank you.
For the person who was looking for a side dish ideas, I recommend soup and a nice bread because the scallops are so rich I made a wild rice mushroom soup.
Loved, loved, loved the scallops.
Do you have any ideas for a side dish to make with these? That’s sometimes the hardest part for me when I cook…..what to make with the main course. I received your cookbook for my birthday in November. I have been making your recipes for years and it is great having them at my fingertips.
Excellent
OMG!!!! So good!! I couldn’t stop eating! Shared these with the hubby , but he almost didn’t get any they were so good! Cannot wait to make them again.
My husband loved these and he’s hard to please! Thanks for sharing!